Go west!

2/12/16 | SHARE:

GO WEST, OPTICIAN
i2i Optique, Scottsdale, AZ
Sabina Krasnov took not one but two big risks two years ago: She moved across the continent from New York City to Arizona — and when she got there, she opened a new boutique from scratch.

THE RISK: Krasnov is the first to agree she made a bold move by leaving a familiar job in a familiar location to open an optical shop on the other side of the country. But it was a necessary risk, she says. Her gig in New York City — where she’d worked as an optician for 19 years — was a stressful, “dead-end job,” and she wanted a change for herself and her family. So along with her mother, children and husband, she moved to Scottsdale, AZ, where she opened i2i Optique in September 2014.
THE REWARDS: At first, i2i Optique’s biggest challenge was just “getting people in the door,” Krasnov recalls. After a few unsuccessful marketing initiatives, she began making monthly appointments with several assisted-living facilities where she does adjustments and other services at no cost, both to get her name out there and to give something back to her new community. Word began to spread and she’s beginning to see repeat customers.
“It takes time and patience,” she says. “I’ve met some amazing people that really needed someone like me in Arizona — someone that cares. (My customers) call me the eyewear fashionista. … I pick their eyewear, they sit in my chair and they just trust me.”
THE TAKEAWAY: Of course, launching a retail business of any kind requires the financial discipline to sock away enough money to sustain your operation during slow times. Beyond that, Krasnov recommends having a crystal-clear plan for what you want your business to look like.
“Most of all, have a vision. I wanted my optical to be like the Apple customer experience — that was my vision,” she says. “Service is key. When somebody comes in, smile, educate them and see what you can improve. My vision is treating everyone like they’re my mother.”
Krasnov has had ups and downs as a new entrepreneur, but she’s living her dream. “Work hard, show people that you really do care, and they’ll feel it,” she says.

http://invisionmag.com/lead-stories/the-big-story-risky-business

Thank you to @invisionmag for the great article.